TV3 head of news and current affairs, Mark Jennings, said today: “Carter [Chris Carter MP] is a serial offender on expenses…it’s Duncan [Garner’s] job [as TV3 political editor] to shine the light on that” [offending].

Carter’s civil unionised gay partner Peter Kaiser said the expenses scandal [that has rocked parliament and appalled most decent New Zealanders who are sick and tired of the corrupt practices of politicians], had placed a strain on their relationship. A defensive and angry Carter told the media that he is sick of “people trying to paint this image of these luxury-loving gay boys {Peter Kaiser and Chris Carter] who are swanning around, flowers to the boyfriend.”

The NZ Herald notes today that Chris Carter racked up thousands of dollars on ministerial credit cards while holding the education, ethnic affairs, conservation and housing portfolios. The use of his ministerial credit card to pay for his and his partner’s personal items (such as pay-per-view movies and flowers) at the tax-payers’ expense has fuelled scandal, demeaned politicians generally and has possibly done irreparable damage to the Labour Party.